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RAF Northolt XXXIV

I'm starting this year's operational shoots with RAF Northolt's 34th Night Shoot since its starting event on 29th January 2009. This shoot brought together participants from France, Germany and of course the UK.


Wildcat Army Air Corps ZZ384 652 Squadron 1 Regiment RAF Northolt - Sean Strange

As was necessary and customary we began the evening with the safety brief along with, for me, a good catch up with some friends. I find more and more now that i've come to know many fellow aviation enthusiasts from not just the UK but also Europe and these events provide a welcome chance to have a good catch up amongst the familiar sights and sounds we all love. And that is a welcome opportunity in itself, I tink many will agree there.


The first action of the night actually came from those heroes in red, the London Air ambulance when G-LAAA came into land after a call out.


Participants:


Aerospatiale AS332 L1 Super Puma (2233) - French Air & Space Force

EH03.067 from Villacoublay


Super Puma French Air & Space Force - RAF Northolt Sean Strange

Dassault Falcon 10MER (32) - French Navy

Escadrille MS 57 from Landivisiau


Dassault Falcon 10 MER French Navy RAF Northolt - Sean Strange

Dornier 228NG (5704) - Germany Navy - Pollution Control

MFG 3 from Nordholz


Dornier 228NG German Navy Pollution Control - RAF Northolt Sean Strange

Embraer Phenom 100 T.1 (ZM333) - Royal Air Force

45 Squadron from RAF Cranwell


Phenom 100 T.1 ZM333 RAF Cranwell - RAF Northolt Sean Strange

Agusta Westland AW159 Wildcat AH.1 (ZZ384) - Army Air Corps

652 Squadron -1 Regiment from RNAS Yeovilton


Wildcat AH.1 ZZ384 Army Air Corps- RAF Northolt Sean Strange

Airbus H135 (G-LAAA) - London Air Ambulance

Base at RAF Northolt


G-LAAA Airbus H135 London Air Ambulance - RAF Northolt Sean Strange

Airbus H135 (G-LAAB) - London Air Ambulance

Based at RAF Northolt


G-LAAB Airbus H135 London Air Ambulance - RAF Northolt Sean Strange

I have to admit I do like shooting the London Air Ambulance H135s, the red just pops beautifully in the night sky with the faint glow of the city of London in the background. The guys do an amazing job and quite frankly I think it's extraordinary that they are expected to cover the entirety of London with its population of around 9 million people. During 2025 they treated 2,031 patients between just 2 helicopters, that's 2 helicopters that take £14M per year to operate. It still baffles my mind that not one of our Air Ambulance services in the UK are at all funded by central government despite providing critical life saving care to thousands.

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